


Mirror, Mirror

by CloakedSparrow



Series: R & R [8]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Dimension, Blood and Injury, Dark Aeons, Established Relationship, F/M, Halloween, Happy Ending, M/M, Missions Gone Wrong, No Sex, No Smut, No Spoilers, Rude's Birthday, Turks - Freeform, aeons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 02:24:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5610391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloakedSparrow/pseuds/CloakedSparrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On Halloween, Rude awakens to find his partner gone. The search to find him leads to a place Rude has never believed existed, filled with creatures that were supposed to be mere myth. If it means protecting Reno, Rude's willing to keep an open mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mirror, Mirror

Rude awoke to the sound of an autumn wind striking the window of his condo and the scents of coffee, spiced cider, and chocolate-pumpkin muffins. He tightened his arms around the small form he was holding and lowered his head to breathe in Reno’s scent. That was when he realized he was holding the redhead’s pillow instead of the young man himself. 

The bald man frowned slightly while inhaling the lingering scent of his recently obtained lover. Reno never got out of bed before him, unless Rude was injured or there was an emergency. He quickly sat up and turned to see a tray sitting on his bedside table. The sources of the scents he had awoken to were found there. Obviously, his fiery partner had gotten up early to make breakfast. He couldn't have been awoken by anything too terrible or pressing. Beside the tray was a note covered in Reno’s tiny, shambolic handwriting. 

_Happy Birthday Rude! I made your favorite muffins and I even cleaned the kitchen well enough to meet your standards. ^_^ I hope you don’t have any plans for today, because I do._  
_Happy Halloween!_  
_~~L~~ ~Reno._

_PS. The boss man called and needed an errand run, but he said I could do it alone. It’s supposed to be an easy one anyway. I should be back by noon. Sorry._

Glancing at the clock, Rude saw that it was half past nine. He wondered when Reno had left and was slightly agitated that the lithe redhead had gone on a mission without him. He tried not to think on it too much as he ate breakfast, showered, dressed, and got the mail. 

He received cards from his parents and most of his co-workers, as well as phone calls from Elena and Cissnei, wishing him both a happy birthday and a happy Halloween. The fact that Tseng did not call was telling. Rude knew the man must have been busy as well. Not for the first time, the bald man wondered how Reno had talked him into taking the day off…then he remembered with a smirk and a growing erection. 

After a few hours passed, the bald man could no longer pretend that he was not concerned. Reno was never late when he could help it. Rude called his partner’s cell and received no answer. He then paced for a moment and tried again, to the same result. 

Rude stared at his phone for a moment. No one knew of the recent development in his and Reno’s relationship and he intended to keep it that way. However, he was a possessive lover and he had always been protective as a partner, so he found himself dialling Tseng within seconds anyway. 

His superior’s rich voice came through before the completion of the first ring, and Rude did not find that comforting. “Happy birthday, Rude; I’m sorry I haven’t called, but I’ve been busy. I suppose this is about Reno?”

The bald man nodded, even though the other man could not see him. “Yes. Has he checked in?”

A deep sigh answered Rude before Tseng’s words did. “No. I’m giving him until the end of the hour and then I’m going after him.”

“I’m going with you.”

“No, Rude. The order for this one was clear, only Reno or I were to be sent. Stay there. I’ll contact you once I know Reno’s whereabouts.”

The large man had to fight to unlock his jaws. “I‘ve been a Turk longer than Reno. Unless this involves people skills or fitting into small spaces, I really don‘t think I‘d be any less qualified, sir.”

There was a brief silence as the raven-haired man clearly registered the strain in his subordinate’s tone. “They thought that one of us would be able to see something the rest of you would not. That’s all I can tell you, Rude.”

The large man‘s growing unease was beginning to give way to anger. “Aren‘t we supposed to be doing these things in pairs, sir? Isn’t that why partners were instated?”

“This was a different sort of assignment,” replied the Wutain. A touch of regret laced his tone, but was quickly abolished. “Once I find him, I will inform you of his condition at the earliest opportunity. R-”

Rude’s voice came out too level and more forceful than he had expected when he responded. “He’s my partner. I’m going. I know him inside and out; I can find him faster than you can…sir.”

“Spoken like a true controlling lover,” commented Tseng smoothly after another brief pause.

Rude quickly recalled something Reno had told him, which he had not believed at the time. He decided to test the redhead‘s theory out now. “You would recognize one. Wouldn’t you rather I accompany you than Elena? If Reno hasn’t contacted either of us, then the job is obviously more dangerous than the higher-ups assumed.”

There was another heavy silence before Tseng released a breath that held a dry laugh. “At least I know my second in command was chosen well…and to think, I believed someone older and more experienced would be more astute. All right, Rude. Be ready in ten minutes.”

Rude was ready in three. He met Tseng when the Wutain was halfway to his condo. Neither spoke of the brief and unusual riff that had passed between them. Rude was simply too concerned about Reno and he supposed Tseng understood that well. 

After driving for what felt like too long to the bald man, they arrived at an old abandoned building. By the looks of it, Rude guessed had once been a hospital or institution. He supposed he was just uncommonly impatient, but he felt as though his partner needed him. He glanced at his superior through shaded eyes. “Any idea what we’re going up against, sir?”

“Only the usual monsters and vagrants that tend to hide in dark and solitary places,” answered the raven-haired man as they exited the car. “There’s an object and some records that ShinRa wants, which are believed to be hidden here. Reno was supposed to verify that claim.”

Rude could barely detect the additional tightness to his superior’s voice, and understood immediately that the other man was just as angry about the situation as Rude was. Most of the members of Turk counted each other as family -their only family in many cases- and Reno was the baby brother of the group. Sure, he was annoying at times, but everyone cared about him and Tseng was no exception. The bald man simply nodded when Tseng’s gaze flickered to him. 

“If you notice anything odd, inform me right away,” added the Wutain. “I don’t think rank had anything to do with why they wanted Reno or I to take this assignment…but they did believe we would see something you would not.”

Rude frowned at the cryptic warning, but asked no questions as they entered the building. The windows that were not boarded were dingy with years’ worth of dust and residue, and the sky was overcast, causing the lobby they had entered to be dark and stagnant. Rude glanced at his watch, noting that they only had a few hours of daylight left. He hoped to find Reno by then. It would be impossible to see anything in there at night. 

Both men were tense and alert as they moved into the main hall. “Any thoughts as to where Reno would have looked first?” asked Tseng quietly. “I wasn’t given any instructions on where to begin.” 

“What was he looking for?” Rude asked in return, keeping his voice low as well. 

The raven-haired man’s voice was tight as he answered. “Something that was intended to teach ShinRa that the Lifestream, as well as the Aeons, are not things to be tamed by man.”

The bald man frowned again, knowing that his superior knew more than he was saying but also that he would say no more. In addition, he knew that was probably all Reno had been told as well. That was all the information he needed in that case. “The basement, followed by any high security areas, and then he’d do a full sweep…unless something gave him an idea along the way.”

Tseng nodded, although the larger Turk could scarcely make out the gesture in the dark building. They turned to the direction of a door marked as a stairwell, figuring it would be the quickest way to the basement. Along the way, they found a few telltale signs of another person having passed through there recently, and the skill and presence of mind it took to identify these suggested that it was Reno.

The stairs and the trail, if it could be called that, both led directly to the basement. The room had once been large and open, most likely used for storage, but at some point, a cluster of rooms had been built in the centre. Rude noted that the design was suited for guards or devices to prevent anyone from reaching the rooms unnoticed or uninvited. A shared glance with Tseng told him the other man had reached the same conclusion. 

Rude was the first to step toward the nearest door, moving cautiously and listening for any signs of a trap being tripped. The door’s handle was dusty and rusted, but opened easily, suggesting it had recently been opened. Once the bald man had entered the room, Tseng followed, and they found that the room had two more doors. It appeared that each of the rooms in the cluster were interconnected. Mirrors were placed along the walls where windows would be in an office complex above ground, and they reflected the dim light of the basement, allowing the Turks to make out the area. Rude removed his sunglasses and placed them in his breast pocket as he glanced around the dark room. He could make out the shapes of desks and tables, but nothing that gave any clue of Reno’s whereabouts. 

In the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of red dart across one of the adjoining rooms. He immediately crossed into it. “Reno,” he called softly. A strange cold filled the room, and then the door to yet another room burst open, as though hit by a harsh breeze. The bald man caught another glimpse of something red moving quickly and followed without hesitation. The room he ended in had doors on every wall, each were open. 

“Reno!” Rude called quietly, looking around for any sign of which door his partner had passed through. Tseng grabbed his shoulder with a shushing sound. Dark hazel eyes shifted, and Rude saw that his superior was tense and looking around as though he were aware of a danger the bald man was not. Before Rude could comment, his peripheral vision caught the top of Reno’s head in the reflection of the mirrors of a room across from them. He seemed to have run across the room and through a doorway. Rude followed quickly and silently, with Tseng close behind him.

The room they entered was slightly larger than the previous ones, with several file cabinets along the walls and a desk with an outdated computer in the corner; what appeared to be an examination table sat in the centre of the room. A larger mirror hung on one of the walls, and Rude realized he had mistaken it for a door. He wondered if Reno had as well. “Reno,” Rude whispered loud enough to be heard by anyone in the room. 

“Rude,” Tseng said forcefully. The bald man turned and noticed that Tseng was looking in the opposite direction. Following his gaze, he saw what had caught the raven-haired man’s attention. 

Reno’s worn satchel was lying on one of the file cabinets, opened and abandoned. Rude crossed to it and looked inside. He looked at Tseng. “A few files marked ‘confidential’, the hard drive to that computer, and some old diskettes.”

The raven-haired man nodded. “Then he found at least part of what he was looking for…”

“Reno wouldn’t have just left this,” stated Rude firmly, with growing apprehension. 

“He might not have had any choice,” commented Tseng softly as he looked at the bag. Then he raised his eyes to meet Rude’s steadily. “I think h-” The Wutain stopped speaking as the door suddenly slammed closed. 

The two Turks quickly crossed to the door and pulled it open. Rude noticed an odd pressure working against them at first, as though someone were trying to push it closed again but gave up. Tseng stepped through and looked around the other room before turning back to Rude. “There’s no one here.”

The bald man nodded, and then turned to retrieve his partner’s satchel when the door slammed closed again. This time, the lock sounded before either man could open it. 

“Are you all right?” Rude called through the door. 

“Yes,” the raven-haired man called back, somewhat hesitantly. “Is it cold in there, Rude?”

The bald man blinked at the unusual question. “No.”

“Listen to me...” Tseng’s tone had lost its previous thoughtfulness and was one of complete authority now. “Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths through your nose.”

Years of training and service had Rude’s eyes closing even as he considered how odd the order sounded. His mind let go of the question as he took the first breath, and then his heart skipped a beat on the second as he breathed in a familiar scent. His eyes shot open. “Reno.” 

Another look over the room proved that the redhead was still missing, however that seemed to be what Tseng was expecting. “You smelled him?”

Rude looked at the door again. “Yes…but he isn’t in here.”

“Actually, I think he is,” countered the raven-haired man. “In a sense; I think he closed the door to keep out whatever is now making this room cold.”

Rude felt a cold wash over him that had nothing to do with the one Tseng spoke of. “Are you suggesting that Reno…is some kind of ghost?”

“No.” The apology was mild but apparent in the superior’s voice, and gone just as quickly as it had appeared. “I think he accidentally used what he was sent in there to retrieve. He’s in this space but not on this plane…we don’t have time for a full explanation.” The Wutain swore in his mother tongue. “My cell phone can’t make a connection down here. I’m going to move above ground and call some people who might be able to help us. Stay in there until Reno or whatever being he’s avoiding opens the door and _do not_ handle anything in that room. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Rude answered automatically. In truth, he understood the physical order, but had no idea of what was happening. If it weren't for the fact that Reno was obviously in danger someplace that Rude couldn't help him, he would have considered it a normal day at the office. 

“Good.” It sounded as though Tseng had already moved further away from the door. “Oh, and Rude…? Keep your eyes and your mind open.”

The large man looked around the empty room, trying to work out everything that his superior had just said. He normally was not one for those kinds of stories, but he had seen too much on the job to disregard it all. He picked up Reno’s satchel and pulled out the files. As he looked over the first one, a familiar shade of red moved in the corner of his eye. Rude quickly looked up to find the source, but found only the same mirror he had mistaken for a door earlier. 

He glanced down at the file. It told of old legends of a realm that held all of the people who had crossed into the Lifestream, as well as the guardian forces, called Aeons, which were now known as deities. It also mentioned beings called Dark Aeons, and questioned where they had come from. Rude’s eyes moved back to the mirror. 

Reno loved old myths. He would have been interested in the stories told in the files… He would have believed them.

The bald man slowly placed the files back into the satchel, knowing he would never make sense of it all. As he did so, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. All he knew was that he was not leaving this place without Reno. He just wished he knew what was happening to his partner.

A familiar scent reached him again. Rude opened his eyes. 

He could feel something was wrong, but didn't know what. Without moving his head, he shifted his gaze slightly to look about the room, taking in everything in his peripheral vision. When the mirror came into view, he stopped cold. 

The room he was standing in looked the same. Worn and abandoned, but still clinging to the sterile air it had once held. Its reflection however, was different. It was decrepit and darker, with stains of old blood on the walls and broken furniture. He slowly raised his head and was surprised when the image remained the same. When his eyes finally rose to his normal line of sight, he felt as though his stomach fell to the floor. 

His own image was missing from the reflection, but standing beside where he should have been was Reno.

The large Turk was afraid to move, even to blink as he stared at his partner in the mirror. Reno was looking at him, and after a moment, followed his gaze to the mirror. The redhead looked back and forth between the two before appearing to think quickly. Then he met Rude’s eyes in the mirror and mouthed his partner’s name. 

“Reno…” The brawny man stared into the reflection of his partner’s eyes. Most could never tell what he or the redhead were feeling by their appearance, but they could always read each other. Rude knew that Reno was afraid. He looked over the smaller man’s image and saw that his left shoulder was bleeding badly, his coat was missing, and he was dingy with scratches and bruises over his arms and face. His right thigh was also bleeding from three parallel slashes that looked like claw marks. 

Reno mouthed Rude’s name again, as well as the word ‘go’. His mouth continued to move for a moment as he shook his head, but Rude could not make out what he was saying and he could hear no sounds. “Reno, I don’t know what you’re saying, but I’m not leaving you.”

Reno either could hear him or simply knew him well enough to guess what he had said, because his expression immediately fell. It appeared that he was going to say something else, but then his attention snapped to another part of the room. The fear in his eyes grew, but his expression was one of familiar determination and his stance meant he was ready to move in any direction at any second. 

“Reno, what is it?” Rude watched in growing fear as his partner’s eyes flickered between him and whatever had caught his attention before the redhead began looking around the room hurriedly, as though searching for either a weapon or a way out. 

The bald man noticed that Reno’s eyes periodically flickered to whatever he had been looking at before, and followed his partner’s gaze to the room’s only door. 

The one that Reno had apparently slammed closed twice and locked closed before Tseng had felt an odd cold stirring on the other side. 

“Damn it.” Rude looked back to the mirror and did not see his wiry partner. “Reno!” The redhead ran to what should have been Rude’s side and, after realizing the man was still not looking at him, turned his gaze to the mirror once more. 

“You can see me…” The bald man blinked when the scrawny Turk nodded, “And you can hear me.” The redhead gave a small shrug and another nod. Then, his attention was drawn to the door again as his body tensed. Rude noticed that the smaller man was paler than usual, which he assumed meant the blood loss was affecting him. 

The large Turk glanced at his partner’s satchel again. “Reno, this contains all of the files that the scientists who used to work here had on this project, right?” He glanced up to see the redhead’s reflection give a somewhat distracted nod. “Then there might be something that explains or at least theorizes how you ended up wherever the fuck you are.” He began sifting through the contents of the bag again when he noticed Reno in a slight panic as he spoke to him very quickly. Aside form a few ‘yo’s, the bald man could not make out any of it. 

“I can’t hear you, partner, and I can only see you and what you see in the mirror.” Rude felt even worse about his inability to help the younger man now that he was clearly worried. His hand shifted the hard drive in the bag and then landed on something else firm and cold. He removed the object and studied it with a small frown. 

It was a twisted band of either stone or metal, but the bald man could not tell which. He had never seen the material before. It was a very dark grey and it had two veins of some other mineral or metal running through it in a chaotic but distinct pattern. One line was blood red, the other Mako green, and they crossed through the twists, appearing on both sides of the band. He turned it over a few times to study it, noting that it felt heavier than its size suggested and that the veins of colour almost seemed to move as he turned it. 

So many sensations struck the large Turk then, that he could not make sense of -or even identify- all of them. He felt a sudden chill, and then he felt as though a great weight had been lifted from him, making him lighter than he had ever felt before. He heard a voice cry out for someone or something to stop, and a steady pounding as something warm filled him. Then suddenly, he felt himself being knocked back.

Once his senses settled, he noticed an acrid scent like rust, decay, blood, and darkness all poured into one. The steady pounding was louder, and he could make out the subtle sound of something dripping. He also felt a light and comfortable weight over him. There was something decidedly familiar about it, and the large man forced his eyes open and looked down. 

Reno was lying atop of him and staring up at him in a mixture of shock, relief, and horror. “Aibou!” The redhead suddenly found his voice, which sounded a bit strained. “I told you _not_ to touch the damn thing!”

“And I told you I couldn’t hear you.” Rude replied automatically, before the fact that he was with Reno resurfaced in his mind. He pulled the smaller frame up with him as he stood, and then he held him out at arms length to look over him. The redhead’s injuries looked worse in person. “Are you okay? What-?”

Both men quickly turned their heads to the door as a loud cracking sound joined the most recent thud. Reno had barricaded the door as well as he could by himself in his current condition and with the materials in the room, but it clearly was not going to do much once the door itself gave way. 

The two partners looked at one another. “Physical damage takes a long time to get them down, yo,” commented the redhead. He indicated the door, “And that one seems immune to lightning too…actually, it seems to get a boost from it.”

“We’ll see how it does against fire if it gets in.” The bald man replied.

Reno nodded and then indicated what was left of the old computer desk. “Want to help me move that, yo?” Rude nodded, and soon they had utilized the few pieces of heavy timber and furniture in the room to create a stronger barricade. 

Looking about the room once more to see if they had overlooked anything that might be of use, Rude noticed that the mirror he had seen Reno and the grim room in was also different on this side. The glass was smoky, dingy, and broken. He could not even make out his own reflection in the dull surface. “You couldn’t make out my reflection in that."

His partner’s blue eyes turned to the mirror as well. “No, none of the mirrors on this side are any good, yo, unless you need something sharp. I took out one of the other monsters that way earlier.”

The large man frowned as he was reminded of the redhead’s injuries when he noticed the odd angle at which Reno’s left arm was hanging. The redhead hadn't used it while they reinforced the barricade either. “Here, sit against the back wall and let me see what I can do about that." he indicated the smaller man’s wounds. Reno nodded and followed the suggestion without argument. “Damn, that must really be hurting you."

“Na, I’m just too tired to fight right now.” The lie would have been believable to anyone else. 

“Mm-Hmm.” The bald man carefully removed his partner’s make shift bandages and winced sympathetically at the wound. “This will need either stitches or a strong cure spell. I can’t help there, but it’s also dislocated…”

The short man nodded, knowing what that meant. He closed his eyes. “Just do it quick, yo.” 

Rude spoke as he removed his tie and folded it over a few times. “I was thinking, about that mirror… Tseng said that the order was for only he or you to be sent on this assignment because it was thought that one of you would see something me or one of the others couldn’t. Here, bite down on this.”

More crackling noises were accompanying the thudding at the door now. Rude had to pop Reno’s shoulder back into place with less care than he would normally use, but he still tried to be as gentle as he could. The redhead’s eyes squeezed closed and he bit down on the folded tie firmly as he whined low in his throat. Rude released a relieved sigh when he was finished. 

“You’re gonna want to take it easy on this arm for some time, at least until we get you to ShinRa’s healers.” The bald man as he removed his coat. Reno snorted at the statement and then removed the tie from his mouth. “I’m going to have to redress that wound, partner.”

The wiry Turk nodded impatiently and arched an eyebrow when Rude started tearing his own coat into bandages. The bald man met his gaze for a second before returning to his task. “I need clean material to work with.”

Reno cracked a small grin. “Thanks, Aibou.” The grin fell and he grunted slightly as the larger man attempted to clean his bleeding shoulder. “So why would Tseng or I be the only ones to notice this stuff, yo? Some of the rest of you have been on the job longer. And what does the mirror have to do with that?”

“Tseng said he didn’t think the order had anything to do with rank, and I think he was right. I could only see you in the mirror, and even that was only after I accepted that you might really be with me somehow.” Rude began to wonder just what had made the injury to Reno’s shoulder as he started wrapping it. 

“You, however, could see and hear me from the beginning, right? You tried to lead whatever it is that's about to bust in here away from us?” The smaller man nodded and Rude continued explaining the theory he was beginning to believe. “Tseng seemed to have an idea of what was happening right away. At first, I thought he just knew something he hadn’t told me, but what if he could see whatever you could? Maybe that’s what they meant about you two being able to ‘see’ something the rest of us couldn’t.”

Reno watched Rude curiously for a moment. “So…you didn’t see those shadows or anything weird in the mirrors when you came in, yo?”

The large man shook his head, “No. Well…I thought I caught glimpses of your hair, but that was only in the corner of my eye so it could have just been my imagination. Unless you didn’t get here until after Tseng and I arrived?”

“If by ‘here’ you mean whatever this creepy Dark Aeon place is, then no. I was already here when you guys showed up.” The redhead frowned slightly. “I could’ve sworn the boss man heard me before you guys followed me in here though. Well, not _here_ … Just- This room, but the clean one, yo?”

Rude nodded to show that he was still following the younger man’s train of thought. “He did seem to be listening to or for something. Can whatever you locked outside hurt him?”

“No.” The smaller man shrugged and then winced lightly. “At least, they couldn’t hurt me ‘till I got dragged in here, yo.”

The door gave a much more pronounced crack and both men stood up immediately. Reno, who had already disconnected his EMR from the cuff it was normally attached to in order to switch hands, extended it without bothering to turn on the current. “Okay, so aside from being charged by electricity, that thing uses it...and some other spells I don’t anything about. Plus, it has hooves and a nasty horn. That’s what messed up my shoulder.”

The bald man nodded. “And your leg?”

“No, that was something else,” answered the shorter man. “I took care of ’em before this thing showed up.”

They both assumed a fighting stance. Rude was trying to shift his body discreetly in order to block his injured partner when the door finally broke as a pair of hooves brutally crashed upon it repeatedly. The hooves had Rude picturing some sort of giant evil goat, but soon enough a dark, equine-shaped head appeared, featuring gleaming eyes and a deadly looking horn. The first description to enter Rude’s mind was ‘massive unicorn from hell’.

Once the creature had broken through to the chest, Rude hit it with a fire spell, to no effect. Reno cursed softly beside him. Then the redhead picked up a broken piece of furniture and threw it at the monster as it continued breaking its way in. “Stick to physical attacks, yo. Then it’ll charge us first and we can break and get around it. We’re screwed if it uses Thundaja or Aerospark in here…”

The partners waited, tense and still, as the creature proceeded to break through the door and their barricade. Reno lunged forward and struck the monster’s head with his EMR, which was basically just a heavy rod without the current. Rude followed suite and followed up his partner’s attack with a solid punch to the creature’s muzzle. The Aeon released a shrill roar and backed up before charging forward, just as Reno had predicted. 

The two Turks reacted immediately and in perfect synchronization as they darted in the opposite directions. They ran to the door as the monster connected loudly with the opposite wall, and Rude pushed his wounded partner through the broken opening before rushing though himself. Before the bald man could even glance over the room, Reno tugged on his sleeve. Rude followed his lead as they headed through the maze of offices.

They had only made it through the next room before Rude realized that the shadows on the walls were growing and seemed to be moving. The large Turk nearly ran into his scrawny partner when the redhead suddenly skidded to a stop with a small curse. They toppled over together, just in time to avoid a creature that had lunged from the shadows. 

Both men quickly rolled and stood, assuming a defensive stance. The creature circled them on four legs, with sharp claws clicking against the old tiled floor. This monster was like none that Rude had seen before; to him it appeared to be the living obsidian skeleton of some ancient beast. He noticed that Reno was watching the shadows just as much as the creature.

“I haven’t seen one of these things attack by itself yet, yo.” The smaller man warned just before ducking another creature that appeared to manifest from the shadow behind him. Rude heard a sound like a rush of air and turned just in time to see a third manifesting. He just managed to dodge the creature, his shirt being torn by four sharp claws. 

The brawny man vaguely thought that he now knew where Reno’s leg injury had come from before he dodged another attack, this time punching the creature as it passed. He heard the sound of his partner’s EMR making contact with an enemy behind him before the familiar warmth of the younger man’s back pressed against his own. He was just able to hear Reno’s voice trail past his shoulder when he spoke. “These ones can take a beating, yo, but at least they go down.”

Rude nodded in response as he planted his feet and flexed his fingers before tightening them into fists, knowing the shorter man would be able to feel and guess his reaction. He felt the smaller form behind him shift as well and heard the gentle hum of Reno’s EMR switching on, which was all he needed to know that the redhead was ready to fight as well. 

Had Rude been merely watching the creatures attack on one of the nature specials Reno like to watch, the monsters would have impressed him. They never attacked individually, nor did they make the same mistakes repeatedly. There were several moments when he knocked away one and would have been killed by another had Reno’s boot or EMR not struck. He had to catch Reno from falling more than once, and grew worried as the fight commenced that his partner was growing weak from blood loss and too much excursion. 

Then suddenly, the beats vanished into puffs of darkness, as though they decided to turn into shadow once more. The bald man looked around cautiously before settling his gaze on his partner. The redhead shrugged. “Yeah, they do that, yo. I don’t know if it means they died or just gave up, but it works for me.”

Rude nodded. He didn't actually care either, so long as he and Reno survived the encounter. “Think we should head topside?”

The smaller Turk shook his head adamantly. “No way, yo. The higher you go, the more of these things there are. That’s how the big one with the horn got me. It was waiting in the stairwell.”

“So what do we do?”

A red eyebrow arched. “Why are you asking me, yo? I’ve been stuck here all day, remember? What was the boss-man’s plan? Did he tell you?”

Rude shook his head and Reno rolled his eyes as though he had expected as much. Just as the large Turk was about to ask after the shorter man’s injuries, the redhead frowned and looked around the room. The bald man gave a questioning grunt, and Reno turned to face him. “Nothing else has attacked us yet.”

The bald man looked around. “That a bad thing?”

Reno shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. “Haven't gone this long without bein' attacked since I got here, but maybe we just finally killed everything. ’Cept the thing with the horn.”

Rude nodded and then looked over his partner. Reno was looking paler by the minute, his shoulder having obviously been injured further in the fight. “Think its still in that room?” The smaller man shook his head. “Let’s head back there, then.”

“Why?” asked Reno, who was already walking beside his partner anyway. “The damn thing that brought us here doesn’t seem to exist on this side, yo. I checked before you got here.”

Rude was disappointed, but had expected as much. “Tseng will head there when he gets back and if he can see and hear you like you could me, maybe we can work out what happened and how to get back. Did he tell you much before sending you here?”

“Not any more than he told you, yo.” 

The bald man nodded and the two continued to the room they had earlier fled from, moving quietly and carefully. When they finally reached the room, the door had been completely demolished and the creature they had fled earlier was gone.

The redhead’s eyes suddenly gained a distant edge, just as they were about to enter the room. “I hear something, yo…”

The large Turk stepped closer as he flicked his eyes between the entrances to the room they were currently in. “Any idea what it is?”

“It sounds like the boss-man,” commented the scrawny Turk before he suddenly looked to Rude. “He’s back.”

The bald man could not hear or see anything, but decided he might as well take the younger man’s word for it. After a moment, the redhead looked somewhat relieved, before tilting his head slightly to look up and straightening his back a little, as he did whenever their superior was speaking to him. 

“Is Tseng here?” asked Rude.

“Yeah, and he brought Fayte with him, yo.” Reno answered before apparently looking at the taller man again, who Rude still could not see. The redhead frowned suddenly. “Me? Hey you’re the one who brought him here, yo. I tried to tell him not to mess with the damn thing.”

“He can see me?” questioned Rude, looking at the space where Reno seemed to be focusing. He then recalled that Reno could hear him when he was on the other side. “Can he hear me?”

Nothing happened. After a brief moment, Rude looked at Reno, who nodded. “He said yes.”

Rude thought for a moment. He did not believe that Tseng actually knew all that much more than he had told them, and Fayte certainly would not know more than their superior would. He glanced at the mirror. “Reno, ask Tseng if Fayte can see or hear us.”

Reno arched an eyebrow, “Didn’t I just say Tseng can hear you? Why do _I_ have to ask him?” Before Rude could respond, the redhead looked up at an invisible person to his left. “Hey Fayte, can you hear me, yo? Fayte!” 

The smaller Turk glanced back to the spot where Rude assumed Tseng was, with the expression he normally wore when the older man was scolding him. Then, he glanced back to Rude. “No, he can’t.”

“Then ask Tseng-” The bald man caught himself and turned to the area Reno had bee addressing. “Could you ask Fayte to look in that mirror, sir?” He indicated the mirror with a tilt of his head. 

“He’s lookin'.” Reno commented. “He wants to know what he’s supposed to be lookin’ at though…” The bald man frowned. The frown deepened when he noticed Reno stiffen before turning to face him. “Do you hear that, yo?” 

Rude stilled and listened before stiffening himself. The sounds of something heavy and clawed were approaching. “Damn. We need to hurry.” 

“Yo, boss man, the thing lying on my bag there; don’t mess with it.” Reno quickly turned back to address their superior. “It’s what brought us here. I dunno, we just fidgeted with it and then...” The redhead gestured vaguely, then flinched and tenderly touched his shoulder with a small hiss.

The brawny man’s attention snapped back to his partner. Suddenly, he had an idea. “Tseng, tell Fayte what you can about where we are and then tell him to focus on wanting to see us… Sir.”

Reno arched an eyebrow and Rude sighed. “When I saw the documents, I knew you’d believe them. So I considered it a possibility, then all I was thinking of was how much I needed to see you…and then, I did.”

“...In the mirror, yo.” The scrawny Turk quickly took a few steps closer to said object. “The frame. I think it’s made from the same stuff as that ring-thingy.”

Rude moved to stand beside the smaller man and looked at the mirror as well. “You’re right.”

“So…should we pull it down and turn it a few times?” The redhead looked up at the bald man. “Maybe it works the same as the other thing, yo.” 

Reno suddenly looked to something beside Rude as though startled. “Tseng says that Fayte can see us in the mirror now.” He turned towards where Rude assumed the older Turk was standing. “They want to check out something on their end first. Hurry up, yo, we aren’t the only things moving around down here and the natives aren‘t friendly.” Blue eyes flicked towards the door for a moment. “Yeah, I see it.”

The large Turk glanced to the doorway as well. The room beyond had grown darker, as though the shadows were moving in. After sharing a brief look with his partner, the bald man moved to grab the mirror. “We’re trying it your way.” The shorter man simply nodded as he grabbed the other side of the frame while Rude was pulling it from the wall. Their eyes met again over the broken mirror. “Now what?” 

“All I did was fidget with the damn thing,” replied the redhead. Despite those words, he appeared to be thinking seriously. “When you were checking it out, you turned it over a few times, yo. I did the same thing…but not right away…and I didn‘t get stuck here the first time I handled it…” He looked over the mirror before raising his eyes to meet Rude’s again. “Which way do you think, yo?” 

“Bottom over top.” No sooner had Rude answered than they were slowly flipping the mirror over. 

Reno’s eyes shifted to the doorway, which was now behind Rude. “Uh-oh.” As they were making the third turn, the redhead spoke again quickly. “Hold it, Aibou.” 

“Wait, Reno.” Rude let the mirror drop from one hand as it made the turn over, in order to reach for his partner as the redhead whipped out his EMR and moved for something behind him. As he turned his head, he saw something lunging out of the shadow towards the lithe redhead. 

Suddenly, the large Turk was struck with the same multitude of sensations that had hit him when he entered this place. He felt a sudden warmth, and then he felt as though a great weight had settled on him, making him heavier than he had been, but it held a feeling of normality at the same time. He heard voices calling out in concern and surprise, as well as a strange noise like the cry of some wild beast. Then suddenly, he felt himself being knocked back.

Once again, a pleasantly familiar weight landed on him once his senses settled, but the sounds in the room were familiar in an alarming way. Acting on well-honed instincts, Rude wrapped an arm around his partner’s waist and rolled both of over and using his free arm to keep most of his weight off the injured man. He looked up and was both relieved and apprehensive by the sight that greeted him. 

They were in the same old but sterile room that he and Tseng had entered while looking for Reno. However, the shadow creature that had been attacking them was also in the room. Tseng moved before the two younger Turks and drew his weapon, while Fayte had already drawn his katana and was circling the monster.

“Anything we need to know about this?” Tseng questioned, his tone no different than if they were merely debriefing in his office. 

Rude stood slowly, still supporting Reno with one arm. “They can take a lot of damage, but they don’t seem to have any immunities, sir.”

The Wutain nodded. “Tend to your partner, then.” Without a backwards glance, Tseng joined Fayte against the monster, and the two Turks dispatched the creature by the time Rude had seen and wrapped his partner’s newest injury, and finally treated his thigh wounds. Between his shoulder injury and the makeshift bandages around his chest and right thigh, it was obvious that Reno was looking at some time off. 

Fayte glanced at Tseng after noticing the younger Turk‘s state. “Should I call a med team? The fact that Reno isn‘t arguing must mean those wounds are as bad as they look.”

“No, I can wait until we get back into town, yo.” Reno cut in. 

Rude frowned, but was slightly relieved. A quiet Reno was never a good sign. “We should start heading back, then. If that’s all right, sir.” He turned his eyes to Tseng.

The raven-aired man nodded. “Just remember not to answer any unnecessary questions. Fayte, drive them to the ShinRa Medical Centre. I’m going to call in and send for a contamination unit. We need to make sure this doesn’t get out.”

“Just make sure no more of those things get out, yo.” Reno frowned. “Man… Between medical, reports, and debriefing, there’s no way we’re going home today. I had Rude’s birthday all planned out for once.”

Rude actually had to fight to keep his amusement from showing. Then, he had to stop his jaw from dropping when Tseng responded. “Actually, I’m going to be tied up here tonight anyway and we have no idea what to expect from those injuries of yours, considering how and where they occurred, so I want you to return to your apartment once the medic clears you. Rude, go with him and keep an eye on him. Report to me immediately if anything seems off and keep me updated on anything the medic has to say about this. I’ll expect reports from you both on my desk tomorrow evening and we’ll debrief Monday morning. I expect we’ll all have to attend several meetings come Monday as well.” 

With a nod of both acknowledgement and thanks, Rude assisted a somewhat stunned looking Reno out of the building. Fayte followed behind them, seeming surprised as well. He offered to help the bald man with his partner, but the brawny man refused. Rude didn'tt release the smaller man until the medics were treating him, even then, he wouldn't leave him. A couple hours later, after a multitude of stitches, several x-rays and injections to dull pain and prevent infection, the pair was finally able to return home. 

There, Rude found that his favourite restaurant had dropped off some packages, which had been pre-ordered by Reno. The food had long grown cold and Reno was not up to eating it, but Rude was touched. He enjoyed the portion he reheated just the same. 

The scrawny Turk insisted on singing ‘happy birthday’ and lighting the candles on the cake before they cut into it. Afterwards, Rude demanded that the skinny redhead lie down, and immediately became suspicious when he was not met with any argument. “You’re too injured and medicated for any action, you know that right?” 

The smaller man rolled his eyes as he settled under the covers. “Of course, yo. I just figured since it’s your birthday and you sort of went to hell and back for me today, I might as well go easy on you. Besides, you still have to open your present.” Reno’s smile was slightly dopey, and while it could have been attributed to medication or exhaustion, Rude thought it was caused by something else. What that was, he could not say. “Check my side of the closet, yo; on the top shelf.” 

With a small smile, the bald man checked the closet and found a decent sized box with Halloween wrapping paper and a tag that read _To Rude_. He took the package to the bed and sat down beside Reno. Inside, he found a new pair of sunglasses, which were supposed to be shatter resistant and a new pair of fighting gloves that were shock absorbent for the wearer. There was also a book that, while he could not recall showing any outward interest in, had caught his eye a few weeks before. The last gift -a sexy pirate wench costume- Rude had assumed to be a gag gift until he noticed that it was Reno’s size and that a functioning pair of manacles had been added. He smiled openly as he placed the items back in the box and set it on the floor so he could lean down to kiss his bed partner. 

“Happy Birthday, Aibou.” Reno grinned tiredly. “We can play with those once I‘m feeling better, yo. But at least you can enjoy the book in the meantime. That‘s the one you liked, right?” 

“Yeah, thanks Red.” Rude stroked the blue-eyed man’s cheek before grinning and arching an eyebrow. “I’ve never mentioned that I have a thing for pirates either, have I?” 

The redhead was nestling against the larger man and sounded as though he were falling asleep when he answered. “Nuh-uh, but I could tell anyway…” 

Rude leaned back, guiding the shorter man with him and then adjusted the blankets over them before reaching down to pick up his new book. He had just adjusted it so he could read comfortably without releasing Reno when he heard the redhead mutter quietly. “Sorry everything got all screwed up today, yo.” 

The bald man looked from the book to the pale and bandaged body curled up against him. He decided right away that there were worse ways he could spend the evening. Far worse, as he had feared on multiple occasions that day that he would not have a partner to hold that night. “It’s fine, Reno… At least I got some great gifts.” He gently rubbed the smaller man’s arm and turned back to his book with a grateful smile. 

Reno‘s voice drifted up to him once more. “Happy Halloween, Aibou.” 

“Happy Halloween, Reno.”


End file.
